What Ever Happened To . . . Eddy Mansfield, 'The Continental Lover'?

WRESTLING

November 12, 1999|By Ric Russo

Eddy Mansfield doesn't hold back any punches. He didn't during his professional wrestling career -- unless of course the script called for it -- and he doesn't today when he talks about this television production business.

Mansfield certainly took his lumps in the ring when he wrestled as "The Continental Lover" for nearly 10 years. He has recovered nicely from those as well as from an appearance on ABC's 20/20 during which he exposed some of the seedy practices in the squared circle.

"It pretty much ended my career in the ring, but it did a lot of good for pro wrestling," says Mansfield from the offices of his television production company at Universal Studios Florida. "When I did that [the interview] I did it for all the young guys out there night after night busting their butts who were being taken advantage of by some of the promoters. Do you think wrestling stars of today would be making the huge dollars they are if I had not stepped up and said what I said? I think not."

His company, Mansfield Productions, has made more than 200 television shows since its inception in 1991. One of Mansfield's most successful shows is Kids 'N Motorsports -- The Television Series. It can be seen locally on the Sunshine Network at 4:30 p.m. Mondays.

Kids 'N Motorsports is hosted by professional race car driver John Andretti, the nephew of racing great Mario Andretti. The show, seen on more than 200 stations nationwide, takes viewers on wild rides associated with the world of hot rods, Indy car racing, go-carting, motorcycle racing and powerboats.

Mansfield's group also has produced Hot Sizzlin' Country, a country music show, and is putting the finishing touches on Crime Scene, which looks into the increasing number of crimes being committed by juveniles.

Mansfield considers his company tops at what it does: "Mansfield Productions is a very solid team of professionals and we have fun at what we do."

The former Continental Lover says he still enjoys watching wrestling.

"Back when I was wrestling I advocated billing it as sports entertainment. We were so concerned with playing it as a shoot (a term among wrestlers for 'real') that we missed out on some stuff that we could use to sell it," said Mansfield, who once played professional baseball in the Oakland Athletics minor league system. "A lot of stuff that promoters frowned on back then is being used today to make it sell."

In his wrestling heyday, Mansfield was a very big draw in some independent groups around the country. His brash, entertaining style as the "heel" drew a huge response from followers of the sport.

A series of matches Mansfield did with Scott Casey in Texas in the early '80s broke attendance records at wrestling arenas in that state. He also picked up a slew of championships and awards for his work in the ring.

Mansfield says he enjoyed the business until he kept running into unscrupulous promoters who tried to take advantage of what they thought was a young kid with no smarts.

Would he ever go back to work in professional wrestling?

"Perhaps as a booker. But to be honest, I did my time. It was fun for a while, but I never needed wrestling. I always had something else to fall back on when it didn't work out.

"I still believe that pro wrestlers are among the best athletes in the world. Look at what those guys do night in and night out. It's tough and you have to be in tiptop shape or you will not make it."

With the recent success of Mick Foley's book Mankind -- Have a Nice Day, A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, Mansfield says he might some day write a book.

"I've got a lot stories to tell and some of them are pretty funny," he said.